Foreign Policy

Documents & Texts from America.gov

20 June 2008
United States Saves Lives, Improves Livelihoods

U.S. government aid, rooted in partnership not paternalism, helps other nations in times of crisis and provides ongoing developmental assistance to countries that govern justly, invest in their people and promote economic freedom.

United States of America

• The United States is the world’s largest donor of bilateral and multilateral foreign aid. It gave $23.5 billion in official development assistance in 2006.

• The United States is the world’s largest contributor to the United Nations and to multilateral development banks.

• Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the United States provided $6 billion in HIV/AIDS funding in 2008.

• The United States has provided more than $2.5 billion to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria since the fund's launch in 2002.

• The United States is the world's top contributor to landmine clearance.

• Private U.S. donors gave $30 billion in charitable contributions to developing countries in 2006.

More about American Giving

Western Hemisphere

• Between 2002 and 2006, tens of thousands of people in Latin America and the Caribbean received training under U.S.-funded higher education activities.

• Between 2002 and 2006, the United States invested approximately $23.5 million in education partnerships between Western Hemisphere and U.S. colleges and universities.

• With U.S. assistance, women in the Western Hemisphere have received training in agriculture and natural resources management. Women also received trade and investment support to take advantage of new opportunities.

Europe

• From 2000 through 2006, the United States invested approximately $5.7 million in education partnerships between colleges and universities in Europe/Eurasia and the United States.

• In Kosovo, universities, private companies and government agencies from Kosovo and the United States are collaborating to establish a Center for Energy and Natural Resource Development. The center will assist in building self-sufficiency in energy and focus on workforce development and research.

• In Macedonia, the United States collaborated with the European Union to support the formation of the South East European University as part of a broad effort aimed at reducing ethnic conflict and providing education opportunities.

South and Central Asia

• Afghanistan was the second largest recipient of U.S. bilateral aid in 2006 at $1.4 billion.

• With U.S. support, over 5.7 million students are enrolled in school in Afghanistan -- over five times more than during the Taliban era. Girls now comprise 35 percent of students enrolled, a higher percentage than at any time in Afghan history.

• Also with U.S. assistance, approximately 80 percent of Afghanistan's population is within walking distance of a health care organization, contributing to a 22 percent drop in infant mortality.

• Since 2002, U.S. assistance helped Afghanistan increase overall agricultural production by $1.75 billion from 2003 to 2006.

East Asia and the Pacific

• The United States supports greater involvement of women in politics in Cambodia. In 2007, significant advances included a doubling of women at all local levels and increases in the number of women political candidates.

• USAID partnered with the MTV Europe Foundation and MTV Networks Asia Pacific to launch an Asia-wide anti-trafficking campaign that includes television, a multilingual Internet presence and events.

• In the Philippines, USAID supported the start-up of an interagency task force to combat trafficking in persons at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport to prevent the use of the airport as a transit point for trafficking victims.

Middle East and North Africa

• Iraq was the largest recipient of U.S. bilateral aid in 2006 with $4.8 billion. This assistance provided for humanitarian relief, economic development, reconstruction and security assistance.

• Through the Middle East Partnership Initiative, the United States has provided millions of dollars in support of university partnerships that foster civic participation and increased cultural understanding.

• USAID supported Jordan's two leading businesswomen's associations, strengthening their capacity to establish women-friendly work environments and establishing a network of women power-brokers to support rising women leaders.

• In Lebanon, U.S. assistance created employment and increased the income of rural women through skills, resources, equipment and information.

Africa

• In 2006 U.S. bilateral aid to sub-Saharan Africa was a record-high $5.6 billion.

• From 2000 to 2006, the United States invested $22.7 million in education partnerships between African and U.S. colleges and universities.

• In Somalia, the United States provided assistance to civil society groups to increase women's participation in the political process.

• A USAID safe schools program is making an important contribution to curbing gender violence in and around schools.

• The Initiative for Women's Justice and Empowerment in Africa is working to curb violence against women and bring perpetrators to justice.

• USAID awarded $5.7 million to help prevent HIV infection among teenage girls in Africa.

back to top ^